An example of a cooling control device for delivering coolant to a part to be cooled is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2014-9668. In the cooling control device described in JP-A No. 2014-9668, an engine is the part to be cooled. The cooling control device described in JP-A No. 2014-9668 has a water pump, a thermostat, a radiator, an electronic control device, and a switching valve. The switching valve includes a cylinder portion, an input port provided in the cylinder portion, and an output port. The input port is connected to a discharge port of the water pump via a water jacket of the engine. The output port is connected to an intake port of the water pump. Further, a housing chamber is provided in the cylinder portion, and a valve body is disposed in the housing chamber in a movable manner. A spring is provided for biasing the valve body away from a valve seat. An electromagnetic coil is provided that presses the valve body against the valve seat, against the elastic force of the spring. A flow passage is provided through the valve body.
In the cooling control device described in JP-A No. 2014-9668, when the temperature of the engine is lower than the warming-up temperature, cooling water exiting from the water jacket of the engine is drawn into the water pump through the switching valve and the thermostat. If the temperature of the engine is greater than or equal to the warming-up temperature, the cooling water exiting the water jacket of the engine is allowed to pass through the radiator to the thermostat.
The quantity of foreign matter deposited on the surface of the core of the electromagnetic coil is then estimated. When the quantity of foreign matter deposited is equal to or less than a threshold value, current is conducted into the electromagnetic coil. As a result, the valve body is pressed against the valve seat by an attractive force of the electromagnetic coil. Also, cooling water of the input port flows to the output port through a circulation portion of the valve body.
When the amount of foreign matter deposited exceeds the threshold value, conduction of current into the electromagnetic coil is cut off to move the valve body away from the valve seat. Consequently, the flow area for cooling water flowing in the cylinder portion is enlarged, thereby increasing the flow rate and water pressure of the cooling water passing through the switching valve. In this way, foreign matter deposited on the core can be washed away.